A number of new goldfish keepers are quite confused over the difference between a Lion Head and a Lionhead goldfish.

The confusion stem from the Chinese names of various goldfish when translated directly into English has a different meaning. You often read written in Chinese the name 狮头 (Shi Tou) and mistaken the fish as a “Lion Head” fish when it is in fact an Oranda. The Chinese name for a real Lionhead (note it’s written as one word) is 寿星 (Shou Xing) or 寿星公 (Shou Xing Gong); a reference to its big headgrowth resembling the God of Longevity in Chinese legend.

The Ranchu is called a 兰畴 (Lan Chou) in Mandarin. There’s no mistaken identity as far as the name is concerned, but for a newbie, you probably find it difficult to tell the difference between a Ranchu and a Lionhead. To keep it very simply, a Lionhead has a bigger and rounded headgrowth, and its back is relatively straight. The Ranchu, a side-view one, on the other hand, has a curved back while the headgrowth is minimal but the cheeks are more protruding.

And if you want to know the difference between a lionhead and a ranchu, read up this article.